press release critique

Frank Heckenbach frank at g-n-u.de
Thu May 3 17:03:05 UTC 2001


MJ Ray wrote:

> Stefan Meretz <stefan.meretz at hbv.org> writes:
> 
> > The point is not whether those tricks base on artificial restraints
> > or not. The point is how to deal with scarcity? Software is always
> > scarce (especially good one).
> 
> No, software is never scarce, but the skills to create it and many of
> the associated products are, so naturally they have a price to their
> consumers.  Again, I see no contradiction.

No, software is sometimes scarce. Standard software is readily
available and freely copyable, so it's not scarse. But
special-purpose software is scarse if it doesn't exist yet and you
have to write it or get someone to write it for you. And while
flexible libraries, tools, etc. make it easier to write
special-pupose software, there will be much need for special-purpose
software at least for quite some time to come.

Frank

-- 
Frank Heckenbach, frank at g-n-u.de
http://fjf.gnu.de/
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